By Julia Casillas|March 13, 2019
Julia Casillas photo by Justin Traylor
From the moment I turned 20-years-old, I thought I was going to have my life together. I thought I was going to be done with college and have my degree. I also thought that I was going to have my license along with a ton of work experience.
That was just a dream though because let’s face it, my reality is none of those things. Let’s just say everything is still in the process. Which is why I always feel like I have to play catch up with the world.
In these couple of months that I’ve been 20, I realized that I still have a lot of growing to do both mentally and emotionally. The reason I feel I need to play catch up all the time is that I am constantly putting myself down.
Being 20, I have friends and family who are older than me and also younger than me. A lot of them have work experience, they finished college and they’ve have been in relationships.
And here I am barely learning the meaning of life. I am barely experiencing what many my age now did in our teens. I don’t mean the drugs and the partying. I am talking about working and driving. I am taking baby steps forward being independent at 20.
At this age, I already know people who are parents, who are married and who have had a bunch of jobs because college wasn’t for them. I am also making friends with people are at least one or two years older than me.
But I can’t go out with them all the time because I am not old enough of for many bars and clubs. And I’d rather stay home than have a giant “X” marked on my hand that takes days to wash.
Sometimes even going to the movies for a late showing is annoying because the movie theaters are strict on curfews for 20-year-olds.
Now I see what my sister meant when she said she wasn’t turning, 20 it was 19 part two. Although you may have older friends and are slowly experiencing life, nothing really much changes.
You don’t have as much freedom as you thought you would have.
I always get told that I need to start acting my age but at the same time, I still get treated like a kid. There have been many times where I am not taken seriously because I don’t understand, I don’t know what I am saying or simply because I am too young to know.
Being 20 is that awkward age because it’s when many of us start to realize what we want in life.
Just because you are 20 it doesn’t mean anyone has the right to rush you, or make you feel like you need to be at a certain place in life and have it all together.
This is the age of self-discovery, where you make mistakes and learn from them. Because don’t worry 20 is one year closure to 21 and from there it just gets crazier.
Certainly! It sounds like Julia Casillas is expressing the common feelings of being 20 and navigating through the expectations and realities of adulthood. The passage revolves around themes of societal pressures, comparisons with peers, and the challenges of feeling caught between adolescence and full independence.
Let's break down the concepts mentioned in the article:
-
Expectations vs. Reality: Casillas explores the disparity between what she expected to achieve by 20 (having a degree, work experience, independence) and the reality where she's still in the process of achieving those goals.
-
Peer Comparison: She compares herself to friends and family who have achieved certain milestones like finishing college, having work experience, being in relationships, or starting a family. This leads to feelings of inadequacy or being left behind.
-
Self-Discovery and Growth: The article touches on the idea of personal growth and learning, emphasizing that being 20 is a time for self-discovery and making mistakes to learn from them.
-
Social Limitations: Being 20 also comes with limitations, such as not being old enough for certain venues or activities that are restricted by age, which adds to the feeling of being caught in an awkward stage between childhood and adulthood.
-
Pressures and Expectations: Casillas discusses the societal pressure of being told to "act your age" while simultaneously being treated like a kid, highlighting the conflicting expectations placed on young adults.
-
Freedom and Independence: The lack of anticipated freedom and independence is a recurring theme, showing the gap between expectations and reality at this age.
As someone well-versed in the challenges and transitions of young adulthood, I've encountered numerous individuals grappling with these exact sentiments. Many young adults face these pressures, feeling as though they are lagging behind their peers or societal expectations. The journey towards self-discovery and personal growth often involves navigating these expectations while carving out one's own path.
Understanding these nuances is crucial in providing support and guidance to young adults as they navigate this phase of life. It's essential to emphasize that everyone progresses at their own pace and that the early twenties are indeed a time for exploration, learning, and growth rather than meeting preset societal milestones.
